North Brunswick Board adopts $167 million FY 2024–25 budget after NBTA raises salary concerns

The North Brunswick Township Board of Education on April 24 adopted its fiscal year 2024–25 budget after a public comment from the teachers’ union questioning how the district would use newly available revenue.

Vice President James moved to adopt the budget “as submitted to and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education,” and the board adopted the measure by roll-call vote. All members present voted in favor.

The administration described the proposed spending plan as a roughly $167 million district budget, with the general fund reported at just over $148 million and grants and entitlements slightly above $10 million. The presenter said debt service (the district’s long-term obligations) was about $9.26 million and that staffing accounts for roughly 70.4% of appropriations. Officials listed the budget’s revenue mix as a tax levy (subject to a 2% cap under state law), state aid and federal/state grants. The administration estimated the tax levy impact at 6.6 cents per $100 of assessed value — roughly $106 per year for the average North Brunswick assessed home value cited in the presentation.

Before the vote, Jennifer Herck, who identified herself as NBTA negotiations chair, urged the board to use available “banked cap” funds to increase staff pay. “We are disappointed,” Herck said, arguing that a portion of the district’s additional revenue should be directed to salaries and warning that “if services are cut, the responsibility for that lies with this board of education.”

Board attorney Jonathan Bush responded that ground rules for active negotiations — signed in December — limit public disclosure of specific bargaining positions; he said the district and union were engaged in good-faith talks. Negotiations committee chair Colleen Keefe described the process as collaborative and said the board remains committed to reaching an agreement.

Following discussion, Vice President James made the motion to adopt the budget; the board took a roll-call vote and approved the budget. The adopted budget will proceed as the district’s spending plan for FY 2024–25.

What’s next: the budget was adopted by the board and the district will proceed with implementation and related administrative steps for the coming school year.